Husband and wife used drones to smuggle drugs and phones into local prison

A husband and wife team used drones to smuggle drugs and mobile phones into a Warwickshire jail. Sajad Hashimi and his wife Zerka Maranay were responsible for over 100 drone drops into 11 jails and young offenders' institutions. The majority of the drops, at least 72, took place at HMP Onley in Rugby,

One video from a smuggling operation shows a drone hovering over a prison at night, lowering mobile phones on a fishing line. Hashimi, 27, piloted his DJI Phantom 4 into prisons on 78 occasions between August 2022 and October last year.

Maranay, 28, assisted her husband by hiring at least 20 cars costing around £17,000. The prisons targeted included Onley, The Mount, Maidstone, High Down, Guys Marsh, Garth, Wormwood Scrubs, Highpoint, Downview YOI, Brixton and Edinburgh.

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It was revealed in court that Maranay used her bank account to launder nearly £50,000, which her husband had received for piloting the drones. The couple, from Camden, London, were arrested last October after police noticed an increase in drone drops at HMP Onley.

Detectives found out that Hashimi was already being investigated for similar offences by the Metropolitan Police. When officers searched the couple's home on August 3 last year, they discovered a drone along with cocaine and cannabis.

Hashimi admitted to conspiring to supply Class A and B drugs into prisons and conspiring to convey List B prohibited articles into prisons. Maranay confessed to conspiring to convey prohibited articles into prisons and money laundering.

On Monday (29/4), Hashmini was sentenced to six years in prison at Northampton Crown Court, while Maranay received a 15-month sentence. Hashimi's crimes came to light after he crashed his white DJI Phantom 4 drone in the grounds of HMP Highpoint in Suffolk on July 4, 2023.

The drone had fishing line and hooks attached to it, with a package containing heroin, steroids, chargers, tobacco, SIM cards and mobile phones, worth £19,500. Data from the crashed drone confirmed it had been used for 62 flights on 34 dates and seven different prison sites between January 3 and June 3 last year.

Despite crashing the drone, Hashimi acquired another one and continued flying packages into prisons. The court heard that on August 17 last year, Kent Police attended HMP Maidstone following reports of a drone flying over the prison.

A Nissan Qashqai, which had been hired by Maranay the previous day, was found by officers parked nearby. Officers stopped Hashimi in the area and discovered he had the vehicle's key. A search of the car recovered numerous drugs packages while a drone and controller were found hidden under a nearby van.

Hashimi was arrested and later bailed for being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs. Data retrieved from a confiscated drone showed that it had been used for 38 flights over 34 dates at seven different prisons between June 15 and August 17.

Authorities intercepted multiple packages within prison perimeters, with the cannabis alone valued between £29,450 and £74,970. Detective Inspector Carrie Powers of Northamptonshire Police's Serious Organised Crime Team commented: "This has been a very complex, detailed investigation and the largest of its kind for our Force and I would like to express my personal thanks to the team for their hard work."

Prisons and Probation Minister Edward Argar remarked: "Our beefed-up anti-drone no-fly zones along with drug detection dogs and airport-style security are helping us lock up organised criminals and crack down on drugs behind bars."

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